Running: Convergence
by brattax23
Summary: AU: After the events of Running. Time is running out, life is changing rapidly and it's a race to find the answer. Ch7! - The plan. A number of sleepless nights. Please Review, sorry for the delay!
1. Returning Players

Title: Running: Convergence  
  
Author: Monica  
  
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Marvel, no money comes to me.  
  
Rating: R for language (right now)  
  
Summary: AU After the events in Running, Remy and Jean moved in with Scott and Marie. Unfortunately, someone knows about the changes that are occurring. And more than one person is converging on the answer. The question is who gets it first.  
  
A/N: Some knowledge from running is needed to understand this one. My first suggestion is to read Running (and review please) before even starting this, but otherwise I'll try to summarize. Remy and Jean begin to attend the Institute. They find that things are not quite right. Eventually, they hook up with Cece (Cecilia Reyes), Scott, and Marie and bring down the school. Xavier escaped to places unknown, Logan ran off, too. Jean/Remy's step-dad, Eric (Magneto), ends up in jail (for things not related to the Institute). At the very end, Remy and Cece have powers.  
  
She laid her head against Remy's shoulder. The last job had been tiring and she was glad to finally have some down time. Jean closed her eyes as the train bumped and swayed back home. Home. It was nice to finally know where that was. Even so, her hand closed around the small pistol Remy gave her last month. It still wasn't time to let her guard down.  
Remy was busy on Jean's laptop. He entered the day's take and made back-ups of the plans on disk before wiping her system. The job had taken a little longer than anticipated. He was hoping that he wouldn't run into Scott until after he got a good night's sleep. God knows the man was tiring enough.  
Life was pretty calm in the surface, but a storm churned underneath. Scott had taken Jean and Marie away after the Institute had broken apart. After they had reunited with Cece and Remy, the group had traveled across the border to Canada. The peaceful atmosphere should have made them feel better, but there was that possibility that everything could come and slam them. Even Scott slept with a gun under his pillow.  
Remy started a game of solitaire. Another hour until they got home. His red eyes began to burn behind the black shades he now never left home without. Sighing, he turned off the computer and tried to relax. These headaches were killers.  
  
Scott was sitting on the rooftop. He just didn't understand what Remy and Marie found so calming about dangling two stories above the ground. His heart was pounding in his chest and the air was freezing his lungs. A thin sheet of moisture clung to the tiles, making it even more fun. But he was going to wait it out because he just knew that Remy was going to come in this way, despite a perfectly good door on the ground.  
One thing was sure. Sitting on the roof was a good place to think; when you weren't thinking about falling off, that is. Scott thought about the little life they had here. He wasn't quite a father figure, but he wasn't "one of the gang" either. Ever since Cece left to try to live a normal life, he was alone with the three teens. None of their neighbors had bothered to ask what the situation was, so they never had to make anything up. He just wished he knew.  
If Scott has his way, nobody would leave the house unless absolutely necessary. He spent two days arguing with Remy about resuming his "missions" and another five day arguing to keep Jean behind. The fact was, Remy needed to get out of the house. He was driving everyone nuts. And Jean had to go with him because he had always planned for a two-person job. Plus, Jean wouldn't speak to him after he told her no.  
At least her separation anxiety was getting better. Maybe it was the façade of stability.  
"Ah, hell, Scottie. I t'ought you'd be in bed," Remy said, his voice rough with exhaustion. Scott glanced over the ledge and picked Remy's sunglasses from his face.  
"That's better. Where's Red?" Scott moved back quickly. Away from the edge. It wasn't that he was afraid of heights; he just didn't like picturing his body spread out on the ground.  
"She used the door." Remy gave up the hope of dropping into bed anytime soon. He sat next to Scott and pulled a cigarette out from his coat. He lit it with his finger, and inhaled deeply. There was comfort in familiarity.  
"Smart girl. How are you feeling?" Scott asked quietly. He plucked the cigarette from Remy's hand, took a drag before putting it out and throwing it to the ground. It was a bad habit that Scott kicked a year ago. The pull of the nicotine was strong still.  
Remy frowned at him. "Headaches still. Sunlight hurts my eyes. Jeannie's getting headaches now. She's sleeping a lot more."  
Scott swore. Marie had been complaining, too. He had bloody migraines. It looked as if the Legacy Virus was spreading. The ramifications of that were too huge to deal with at three in the morning.  
"How'd the job go?" It really was a moot point since Remy was sitting in front of him obviously unhurt.  
Remy brightened. "It went well. Jeannie's getting good. I think I'll let her plan the next hit."  
"Great." Scott's stomach turned.  
  
Marie was wringing her hands. Books and pamphlets covered her desk, bed, and floor. Where to start?  
"What are you doing?" Jean asked, leaning against the doorframe, a glass of milk in her hand.  
"When did you get back?" Marie asked, standing up amidst the mess.  
"Last night.or this morning." She trusted Marie, but she still didn't really like her. Still, since they were living together, may as well try to be friendly. "Um, why is your room covered in paper? Decorating mishap?" Remy would have a heart attack from the mess.  
Marie shook her head slowly, turning to look at the information on the ground. "They're college brochures from everywhere from Hawaii to Paris. Scott thinks I should try to live a normal life, whatever that is. I don't know what I want to do, or where I want to go, or even if I want to go."  
"You're thinking about leaving?" Jean said sharply. Marie managed to hide her grimace at the tone.  
"I don't know yet. I know that you don't need college, but it's always been the next step for me. The Professor was going to enroll me in the Academy after I graduated from the Institute." Marie sank to the floor again. "I don't even know if I graduated. There was all that mess at the end of the year."  
Jean slowly picked her way across the room and shoved some papers over so she could sit on the bed. She picked up a glossy sheet and read it silently. Marie watched her, curious.  
"Well, I think you could rule out New York. I hear the coursework is murder."  
Marie rolled her eyes and flopped backward onto the floor. Of course she wasn't going back to New York, the fiery pit of Hell.  
"If this is being normal, it sucks."  
  
Remy stared at the empty canvas perplexed, a paintbrush stuck behind his ear. There was just no inspiration today. Maybe he was just too tired to put in any real effort.  
"Hey." Marie knocked softly on the door before walking in without waiting for permission. She sat at his desk on which everything was placed at perfect right angles. Wrinkling her nose at his anal retentiveness, she skewed a photograph of him and Jean at the right upper corner.  
"Hey." Remy carefully replaced his brushes and paint and went to go sit on the bed. Marie moved over to where he was and began to knead his shoulders. Remy closed his eyes and sighed in relief. "Nice to see ya, chere."  
"Jean told me about the job. Cutting it a little close?"  
"A little. But what's life without risk?"  
"I wouldn't know," Marie muttered, pushing down a little harder than she intended. Remy elbowed her lightly in her ribs in protest.  
"Actually, me neither." He rolled to his back and pulled her down on the bed so they were lying side by side. "It might be nice."  
"But then nobody would be chasing us."  
"Or trying to kill us."  
"Or kidnap us." "Or use us for their villainous schemes." Remy grinned. "Yep, sounds like a life I've never lived."  
Marie turned to face him, her arm stretching out over her head, legs crossed at the ankles. She looked like a long flowing line. Remy stared, mesmerized.  
"Do you ever think about things later in life? Wife and kids? Perpetual ladies' man?"  
Remy blinked. "I haven't really thought about it. It's been so long living just to get to tomorrow. That far into the future hasn't reached my brain yet."  
Marie chewed her bottom lip, thinking. "We were always discouraged from having a "normal" life. Relationships were quickly broken up. The future was practically laid out for you until death. It's hard to get out of that mindset sometimes." Remy brushed a stray hair away. Then traced the side of her face with the side of his hand. His red eyes never wavered from her emerald ones.  
Marie gave him a lazy smile. "This is where your sister barges in to save you from the strumpet."  
"* She * knows better than to interrupt me when I'm painting," Remy said, mockingly scolding. He scooted closer.  
She glanced over to the blank canvas and raised her eyebrow. "Well, I'm not sorry," she said, nipping at his chin.  
He tilted his head back to give her better access. "Neither am I."  
  
Logan shook his head. He could see the shadows in the warmly lit house in the center of the cul de sac. They had come to Canada, his home turf. How utterly stupid. Fucking Remy LeBeau and his damned sister. After he had run, the government had frozen his assets so he couldn't touch the fortune that was back in the states. Logan had to start over, and that meant working with some people he couldn't stand. But the money was right. At least the bastard wouldn't be living happily ever after for much longer.  
"Is that the house?" Victor Creed asked, binoculars to his face. He wasn't any happier in being paired with Logan than Logan was.  
"Yep."  
"When do we hit it?"  
"Soon." Logan motioned for his partner to leave the scene. Now that they found them, it was time to warm up in a bar. Not for the first time, Logan wished that he could get sloppy drunk like everyone else. He remembered the times fondly.  
Victor sneered at the smaller man, but nodded. He hated taking orders. Still, the promise of a warm room and lots of liquor made him leave without comment.  
  
phoenixREDD: How's college?  
1DaddysGrl1: Pretty dull. This is supposed to be the upper echelon of education?  
Anyway, how are things with you? Staying out of trouble?  
phoenixREDD: ok. we hit St. Joachim St. a couple days ago.  
1DaddysGrl1: What's wrong? Even over the computer I can tell you're sulking.  
phoenixREDD: I never sulk. ( That girl is taking my brother away.  
1DaddysGrl1: ( Surely you expected him to be drawn to Marie. She's pretty.  
phoenixREDD: She's ok. She's talking about leaving. Going to college.  
1DaddysGrl1: that's good, right?  
phoenixREDD: yeah.  
1DaddysGrl1: you know you're being paranoid.  
phoenixREDD: Scott said I have separation anxiety.  
1DaddysGrl1: he's just being nice. You, dear, are a total head case.  
phoenixREDD: never say so. I'm.careful. Anyway, gotta go. Dinner.  
1DaddysGrl1: k. hang in there, Jeannie.  
phoenixREDD: bye, M.  
  
A/N: Just a taste. Tell me if you want more, who you want to see, and remember, the more reviews the more I rush to write! Thanks! 


	2. Begin game

A/N: Sorry this took forever and a day. This is a lot of set-up, but still kinda fun. Remember to review!

            Scott smiled at the disgruntled look on Jean's face as she walked down the stairs.  She was his favorite; he knew she was well aware that he was wrapped around her baby finger.

            "What's wrong, Jean?" he asked as she began to gather the utensils from the drawer.  She seemed distracted and was chewing her bottom lip. He smiled and watched her work. The fading sunlight shone into the dining room, creating a fiery nimbus around Jean's head.

            "My head hurts." She looked up and met his eyes. "And something weird is happening."

            Scott waited for her to continue. Working at the Institute taught him that girls were sensitive to being rushed (a lesson that would have come in handy earlier in life). Jean moved slowly around the table, carefully laying each fork and knife just so. Scott closed his eyes against a stabbing pain in his head. He became aware that Jean was staring at him.

            "You should take an aspirin. You've had a headache for the past two days; it's not going away by itself." She came to a stop in front of him. "And I'm not 'cute'. That's a word you'd use to describe a five-year-old."

            Scott stared speechless for a moment, headache completely forgotten. Well, fuck. "You're a telepath." He gripped the side of the table until his knuckled turned white. "Anything else I should know?"

            Jean nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. Scott swore. Jean raised her eyebrows, impressed with the extent of his vocabulary. Pointing a finger at the glass of water across the table, she moved it over to Scott. He stopped immediately.

            "Take a pill. You're hurting my head. Remy has good shields, but your and Marie's thoughts have been beating into my head all day."

            "I thought your shields were good."

            "They are."

            Scott frowned at her, and then looked up at the ceiling. "Remy, Marie! Get down here!" he bellowed. Then he lowered his head into his arms. When he finally heard footfalls on the steps, he looked up. Jean held out two pills. "And you, get outta my head."

            Jean pouted, but didn't say anything. And she increased her shields.

            Remy and Marie burst into the room. Remy's arm was snaked around Marie's waist. His hair was sticking straight up and Marie's cheeks were flushed. Jean glared at them.

            "What's wrong, Jeannie?" Remy asked, ruffling her hair. He put on his most pathetic face and pouted at her.

            Jean just shook her head, turning away to hide a smile.

            "It seems as though the Legacy Virus is catching. Red?" Scott said, trying to get the pain under control.

            _You two better watch yourselves. Marie needs better shielding. There are some things I just do not need to know._

            "Oh shit!" Remy said, falling back into a chair. Marie's cheeks bloomed bright pink and she leaned against the nearest wall.

            _And stop thinking so loud. I don't have control over this thing yet! Then she swept towards the kitchen and started bringing in the food. As she placed the salad in the center of the table, Jean realized that nobody had moved to help her. Clicking her tongue in irritation, she chanced using her telekinesis to bring the rest of the food in. Remy watched the floating potatoes with a look of horror across his face. Marie's mouth kept opening and closing without emitting any sound at all._

            "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Remy murmured as each item floated into the room. Jean just couldn't get grin off her face. The unshakable Remy was certainly shaken up now!

            "Watch your mouth," Scott snapped, oblivious to the fact he'd spent two minutes cursing after he saw Jean's new "power". "Marie, anything new with you?"

            She shook her head, trying to deny the pain she was having; the consequences were terrifying.

            Silence fell over the room. The food got cold as everyone was busy contemplating how their world was changing.

                                                            -----------

            "Yes, I said I fucking saw them!" Logan said irritably. "I understand that time is of the essence, but I thought you wanted it done quietly. That takes time."

            "At this point, I just want it done. And quickly, Logan." He grimaced at the phone. Although he wasn't intimidated easily, watching his boss at work was enough for him to take the order without comment. Cursing under his breath, Logan slammed the phone down and started walking down the hill.

            Creed fell in beside him, smirking at the disgruntlement written across Logan's face. "Boss has a way with words, eh?"

            "Fuck off, Creed. We need to get this done. Tomorrow."

            Victor smiled. It was about time they did something other than just sit around. He could just imagine the sweet screams from that little red head.

            "The boss doesn't want a blood bath. Remember to pull in your claws!" 

            Victor emitted a low growl, but he knew that when the time came, he would do what was ordered. Still it was a shame.

                                                            -----------

            "Hey, Jeannie," Remy said softly, knocking on the open door. She had been staring up the ceiling, pale limbs spread out on the rich green coverlet. Soft classical music drifted from the radio.

            "You won't be able to sneak up on me anymore," Jean said, smiling at him. Slowly, she pulled herself to a sitting position to make room.

            Remy made a face. "Pah. You know you can't sense me." He pushed her over, making her screech.

            "Please. You are not half as slick and mysterious as you think. Plus, as my brother, I already know everything about you." She tossed a pillow at him. He caught it and threw it back, a bit harder. Jean's mouth curved up into a smile and Remy leaped up from the bed and began looking for ammo. A full fledged pillow fight began.

            The laughing and crashing sounds brought Scott and Marie to the doorway. They smiled at each other and drifted away as the fight died down. Jean lay flat on the bed while Remy leaned against it, sitting on the floor.

            "And Jean remains undefeated!" she said, a bit out of breath. A quick tug of the coverlet had her tumbling to the ground. Remy pulled her up so she was sitting next to him. 

            "Are you scared?" He closed his eyes. Not because he was worried or anything. He seemed to get tired so easily lately.

            Jean thought for a moment. "Not really. It is overwhelming and unpredictable, but doesn't seem that difficult to control. Your powers seem so much worse."

            Remy grimaced. "Yeah. Thanks. Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

            "And to find out if I knew anything I shouldn't." She glanced sideways at him. He didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed.

            "Yeah. That too. And I wanted to remind you to respect other people's privacy." He opened an eye. "You're cute when you blush."

            She groaned. "Remy!" 

            "Why didn't you tell me first?"

            That was why she was feeling a little – off. "I don't know. I just realized that…something was different. You were with Marie, and I could tell you didn't want to be bothered."

            "It's not a big deal," Remy said quickly. "I was just wondering."

            "Oh." They sat in silence for a while.

            "You know, I didn't pay that much attention to…what you were doing," Jean said, suddenly sensing a turn in Remy's thoughts. One look at the look on his face, she bolted for the door. Well, hell. She heard footsteps behind her, so she hopped over the stair rail and used her telekinesis to take her safely to the ground.

            "Jean!" It seemed to echo through the house. Remy ran down the stairs just as Scott seemed to fly across the room. Scott got to her first. He grabbed her and shook her, then pulled her into a hug, then shook her again. Words piled up and crashed in his head, but none quite made it to his mouth.

            Remy didn't have that problem. "Goddamn it, Jeannie! You fucking scared the life out of me. I'm gonna kill you!" Then he pulled her from Scott and proceeded to squeeze the breath from her body.

            "Jeez, I'm fine. I'm sorry, okay!" She gasped out. She squirmed away from Remy and stared in shock at the two men as they frowned at her.

            "Don't you ever…"

            "Do that to me…"

            "Again!"

            Jean looked back and forth between them, shock etched on her face. "It's no fair to gang up on me." Then she pouted, eyes filling with tears.

            "Oh, don't cry, Red. I didn't mean to yell," Scott said quickly. He had no defense against tears.

            "Stop it, Jeannie. You deserved that and you know it." Remy smiled and shook his head. "Don't let her get away with that, Scottie. Jeannie doesn't cry. She's playing you."

            "Traitor," she muttered, smacking him on the arm. They were both glaring at her again. She quickly turned and ran back up to her room. Damn Remy!

                                                            --------

            Cece couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. Ever since she left Scott and the kids, she was happily working back at the ER, up to elbows in scrubs. Life was finally beginning to come back together. And yet she couldn't shake that feeling that she was being set up. That things would fall apart any minute now. Cece walked a little faster. Maybe she should call Scott and make sure things were okay. Just in case.

                                                            ---------

            Charles Xavier lay back on the chaise under the hot Australian sun. He was almost ready. The changes in him were amazing, but best of all, they put him in a position of power once again. Nothing could keep Charles Xavier down! He was destined for greatness, he just knew it. He signaled the waiter to bring him another drink.

                                                            ----------

            Scott closed his eyes against the pain. He didn't know how much more he could take. It was getting harder and harder to function.

            _Scott, are you okay? Her voice was worried. Scott forced his own to sound normal._

            _Yeah. I'm just going to take an aspirin._

_            Remy's waiting to spar with you in the basement. Should I tell him you need to reschedule?_

            Scott sighed. _No. I'll be down in a minute_. He made it to the bathroom before he collapsed. The room started to spin and his knees buckled from under him. He crashed against the sink and was drowned in darkness.

                                                            ---------

            "Hi, Cece! How are you?" Marie said, pleased to her from her.

            "Hi, Marie. Is Scott around?" She sounded very worried. Marie frowned in reaction.

            "He's downstairs sparring with Remy. Should I go get him?"

            "No. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

            Marie jumped. "Oh no, guess what? The Legacy Virus is spreading. Jean developed telekinesis and telepathy."

            The phone dropped.

            "Cece?" There were muffled noises on the other end, but Marie was pretty sure she heard a wail. "Cece?"

            "Tell everyone I'll be there tonight!"

            Nathanial Essex watched the monitor as the red lights glowed brightly. Eleven pinpoints of light would grow to a hundred, then a million - unless someone stopped the outbreak.

            He nodded to himself. Who better to control the world's genetics than the doctor who started it all? He glanced disdainfully at the female form on the table. Her hands twitched every once in a while, but otherwise she was still. And she was still a disappointment. It didn't really matter. It was only a matter of time until the answers were in his hands and the world was his to control.

A/N2: Are ya interested in what comes next? Tell me please! Any ideas to make this story better? Tell me, please! Anything else? Review!! J


	3. Shuffling the Deck

A/N: How's this for a quick update (jeez, it was only 2 months!)? And for a little action? And what about that killer ending? Tell me what you think!! And no, it's not (just) going to be a Sinister story. That would be way too easy for our heroes.

            Jean screamed. It echoed through the house, bringing Marie running from the kitchen and Remy running from the basement. The sounded reverberated off the high ceilings and seemed to sound for an eternity. Remy was calling her name, but didn't get an answer. As harsh as the sound that filled the house was, the silence that came after was far more potent.

            "Remy, she's in here!" Marie yelled, lifting the young girl's head up. The office door had been ajar. The chair was turned over and Jean lay in a heap at the desk. Marie felt for a pulse and was relieved when her eyes began to flutter. "Jean?"

            Remy burst into the room. "Jeannie? Are you okay?"

            "I would be better if you stopped yelling," she muttered. "Scott?!" She tried to stand, failing miserably as her legs refused to comply.

            "Where is he?" Marie asked, just noticing his absence.

            "I don't know. Hurt…" Jean said, wearily lying back down against Marie. She couldn't stop the tears that coursed down he cheeks. "Remy, find him please."

            He was torn. He didn't want to leave his sister, but on the other hand, he did want to help Scott. The turning back and forth made it look like he was performing some strange dance.

            _Go, now!  It was not a tone to be questioned. _

Remy went.

            Logan looked down disdainfully at the arms they were carrying. They were doing this the easy way. There is nothing that screams inept, coward, and amateur like using guns and bombs. There's no finesse when you leave a bigger mess than necessary.

            Creed didn't like it either. He had already been denied the chance to slice and dice, but now it was a grab and blow situation. They weren't even supposed to hang around to see the mess. 

            They worked silently, placing the explosives around the property. The house was strangely quiet and still, yet they had to be inside. Logan and Victor had been watching the house for several hours, and they hadn't seen anyone leave.

            "Just remember, grab the boy and the girl. The others are expendable," Logan said, looking through the binoculars for the inhabitant's position.

            Remy found Scott passed out in the bathroom, a small cut on his forehead where he hit the sink when he fell.

            "Scott!" he yelled, checking for vital signs. A pulse beat strong and Scott breathed easily. But he didn't answer. Remy wasn't sure what to do next. He heard you weren't supposed to move people with head injuries, but surely a bump on the head was okay, right?

            _He's unconscious. Just stay there with him. Jean said._

            _Are you all right? Remy asked, folding the bath mat into a pillow._

            _Yeah. Marie and I will be up there in a second. Just as Jean said that, Scott let out a low moan._

            "The girl's are in the 2nd room, left side. The boys are in the west bathroom," Logan said. "One of each is on the ground. Let's hit them while they're weak."

            "Let's go!" Creed said, jumping up and stalking to the house. Logan shook his head and headed towards the back door. Time to earn that paycheck – and a little revenge.

            "Ugh," Scott said, willing the pain to go away. He wished that he would have stayed asleep. The bed was awfully cold and hard. Surely that wasn't right.

            "Scott, are you okay?" Remy asked, peering down at him. He turned to grab a towel to clean the blood off his head.

            "Yeah. I feel like I've been hit with a Mack truck, though." He rubbed his eyes in slow circles. It was bright from beneath his lids. He wasn't sure he wanted to open his eyes.

            Logan broke into the house with ease. Apparently the thieves didn't worry about anyone breaking in on them. He listened carefully and heard Victor on the stairs. Logan picked up his pace. If they did this correctly, they would follow each other out the door, one little brat in tow each.

            On the landing, they could see shadows in the room the girls were in. Logan headed that way and pointed Victor towards the bathroom.

            "I'm okay!" Jean said, exasperated. Marie was – hovering. She just wanted to make sure Scott was okay. The pain he felt was still vibrating in her head. In fact, she still couldn't sense anything or anybody yet. Still, something felt strange. She cocked the head to the side, listening. 

            Marie looked at her, and then did the same. A floorboard creaked. She knew it wasn't Scott or Remy. She immediately pushed Jean towards the closet.

            "You're in no shape for trouble. Stay here and stay quiet." Marie's tone brooked no argument. Jean didn't even try; she closed the door and cried out to Remy in warning.

            Which is why he was ready when Victor burst into the room. Unfortunately, there wasn't much room to maneuver, and Scott was positioned right in the way. Remy was severely over-muscled. And then Scott evened the odds. He opened his eyes.

            Jean could hear Marie in the hall, and it didn't sound good. Even though she had been trained at the Institute, it was Logan who had taught her all her best moves. It was Logan who knew her style, her strength, and her weaknesses. Marie was out of breath and out of time.

            Then the blast ripped through the house.

            "What the fuck…!" Victor yelled as he was slammed into the far wall. Red beams shot out of Scott's eyes and propelled Creed across the room. Scott yelled in surprise-pain-fear. He looked around wildly, seeing nothing but a room blurred in a blinding red. He heard the crashes and explosion as his line of vision ripped through stone, wood, and brick. He heard the girls yelling in the distant, he heard Remy swearing behind him, he heard a prayer run through his mind over and over again.

            "Fuck, Scott! Close your eyes!" Remy yelled, diving to the side as Scott looked towards his voice. That finally got through. The ensuing silence after the dust settled was vast. Victor was struggling to his feet, Remy was trying to catch his breath and Scott was afraid to move. In the other room, Marie was coughing in the doorway, watching helpless as Logan dragged a dazed Jean from the closet. Logan didn't even seem fazed.

            "Creed! Let's go!" His mind was too chaotic for Jean to penetrate. Just a glimpse here and there was all that was visible to her. 

            _Please, stop him, Jean thought, hoping somebody would hear her._

            Victor had his attention on the boy. He didn't notice (or care) when Scott ran out the door, slamming into walls or debris. Remy picked up a good sized rock and tossed it from hand to hand. Then it began to glow pink.

            "You think you're little rock is going to stop me?" Creed growled, advancing steadily.

            Logan couldn't wait very much longer for Creed to show up. Scott was blowing things up left and right as he staggered towards them.

            "Hey, you better stop that! Yer gonna hit the girl!" Scott paused, but only for a moment. It was in that moment Creed blasted through the window. Without Remy. Logan wasted no time in dragging Jean to the van. "Just wait. When we leave this place, we're gonna blow it sky high, and your little friends won't no what hit them."

            He obviously didn't know her powers. Jean quickly told Remy and Marie to get out of the house. And to stay out of the way of Victor, who was running to catch up. He musta known that Logan would leave him behind with no regrets. Scott was gaining on them, too. Jean tried to help him by showing him the way, but Logan wasn't making it easy to see. 

            She couldn't make him stop, she couldn't get away, and she couldn't count on anyone else to help her out. Yes, things did not look good for our Jeannie.

            "Get in the damn car!" Logan shouted to Creed while he dumped the girl in the back.

            'He's almost here!' Jean thought, watching Scott run straight towards her.

            "I didn't grab the boy!" Creed yelled, sounding both disappointed and ashamed. Logan shook his head.

            "It's okay. That one will do." He quickly injected Jean with a green fluid and did the same to Scott as he reached the van. 

            Remy and Marie stood leaning against each other as they watched the van turn the corner. It wasn't until they heard a soft hissing that they realized they better get the hell out of the way. Suddenly, their wounds didn't matter and the fatigue melted from their bones. The house turned to blaze and they could only watch the last semblance of normalcy turn to black.

            They did what was expected of them. They limped down the street after the van, one foot in front of the other, wiping the blood out of their eyes. This time they did it hand in hand.


	4. Recruits

A/N: I'm sorry this took a while. I had midterms, projects, and stress piled upon me. And I'm also sorry this is so short. I'll try to be better, although to be honest, my hectic life is only going to get worse for another month. On the other hand, I'm sure the questions will be fun to try and work out! I left a lot up in the air, so tell me what you think will happen, what you want to happen, and how you like the story! Thanks!

            "This is incredible!" Charles Xavier exclaimed, watching as Bobby created an ice sculpture in his palm. "It seems Dr. McCoy didn't figure out all the repercussions to his 'Legacy Virus' after all."

            The teen couldn't decide whether to be afraid or excited about his new talent. He did know that all the testing Dr. MacTaggert was performing was getting old, though. He felt like a human pincushion.

"Has the doc figured out why it's spreading, or how?" Bobby asked, checking out his iced-up form in the mirror. Concentrating a little, he altered the form to make it a more – hunky.

            "Think about what this means! Just like the original plan, we can create an army of super beings! We can take over the world!" The professor knew something that Bobby didn't. The Legacy Virus works differently on different people. Not everyone could survive the changes the Virus wrought on the body. Only the elite. The billions in ransom money made Xavier's mouth water. "Bobby, go get me another martini."

            Bobby glared at the Professor. He didn't even notice his new form.

            As the boy left, Xavier began to make plans. As soon as they knew how the virus spread, he could threaten the world. Just think, his own group of superbeings with himself at the head.

            Marie tried to think. The first time in her life where she felt happy and safe was gone in the blink of an eye. Remy was brooding, his head in her lap as they lay on the grass at the local park. The van had taken off like a bat out of hell and there was no point in trying to follow.

            "Remy, Cece was supposed to come over tonight," she said, furrowing her brow. She was supposed to be good at this! In strategy and creativity, she had always been at the top of the class.

            He grunted. You would think that he'd show a little more enthusiasm, but ever since the van disappeared, Remy fell into severe depression. It was grating on Marie's nerves.

            "So, I bet she could help us. She was part of the staff when this Essex guy came to the Institute to contract your skills. Maybe she knows where to find him." She shoved him off her lap and dragged him to a standing position. "And even if she doesn't, I know somebody who can find out!"

            Remy grumbled as he let himself be pulled along by Marie. He felt a little better, though. Her confidence was infectious. By the time they reached the street, he was running along side of her. It was nice having someone to lean on through tough times. And the fact that it was a beautiful young girl certainly didn't hurt.

            Scott woke up, his headache miraculously gone. His thinking felt slow, though. The ground was cold against his cheek and he felt aches and pains in his body that he was sure to be feeling for at least a few days more. He wished he could remember what had happened.

            Jean was staring at the man in the room with her. He had a strong jaw, with just a faint line of stubble. His hair looked soft and thick. He looked – nice. She just wished she knew who he was. When he started moving, she immediately went over to him. It was odd that she felt so comfortable with him.

            "Are you okay?" She asked, helping him sit up.

            Scott didn't speak at first. He stared in awe at the angel by his side. He didn't think that he was dead, but if this was heaven, he had no complaints. "Who are you?" He whispered in awe.

            "I'm… I don't really remember," Jean said, a frown on her face. She absently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Who are you?"

            Scott couldn't remember. His name wasn't important, though. He couldn't help it; he pulled the girl forward and kissed her soundly. Her lips were as soft as they looked. Her body was small and compact, yet it fit against his so well. Yes, this had to be heaven.

            Jean was startled, yet she didn't pull away. This man overtook her senses. She knew that she had never been kissed like this before. She was pretty sure that she had never been kissed before. His scent, his touch overwhelmed her senses. She opened her eyes and gazed into his dark brown ones. It felt as if she had known him forever.

            "Meet me in the McDonalds on 5th St.," Marie said into the phone. "Don't argue with me, Bishop, just do it." She slammed the phone down and slapped Remy's hand away from her nuggets. "He'll be here in two hours. Cece should be on her way as well, assuming she got our note."

            Remy gave her a winning smile as he went for her fries again. "So who is this Bishop anyway? An old boyfriend?"

            "Jealous?" Marie said, smiling. She fed Remy a fry, her face moving closer to his.

            "Never," he replied, breathless.

            "Maybe you should be," Marie said crisply, sliding out of the booth.

            Bishop was huge. His chest was well built, strong, and sturdy. Two of Remy's widths could have fit easily in his frame. A pair of Oakley sunglasses rested on his face, obscuring his eyes, but not the fierce scowl that was pointed at Remy.

            "Who the hell is this?" He barked at Marie. He was street hard. He knew his skills and he knew that he was someone to be reckoned with.

            "This is Remy. I need information on Dr. Nathanial Essex as soon as possible," Marie said, irritated with the male posturing.

            "Well, if you would have told me when you called, I could have brought what I had," Bishop said, turning his frown to Marie. "Sometimes I wonder how you made it, being such a dumbass sometimes."

            "T'at's no way t' talk t' a lady," Remy said, voice silky smooth. His eyes began to flash bright red and he lowered his sunglasses.

            "What's with the freak show?" Bishop asked, unconsciously moving away from Remy. His eyes got wider and wider as the plastic fork began to glow.

            "How did Charles get affected? When the Virus was released, he was already on a plane heading out of the country," Raven asked, leaning forward on the desk.

            Pietro, her newest aide, was glad he had the answer for once. Raven did tend to get a bit bitchy when he wasn't fully informed. "Apparently the Virus is exchanged by physical contact. Just a drop would have caused an effect on him."

            "The President is very interested in these unanticipated effects. Keep me posted." Raven gifted him with a rare smile. Pietro breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like he was barely keeping pace even though he was running around twenty-four hours a day. What a woman!

            Cece stared in amazement at the destruction. The building was still smoking, collapsed down to three feet off the ground. Most of the spectators had drifted away before she got there, so she was able to go straight to the gate.

            "Ms. Reyes?" She turned and smiled at the young man. He seemed pleasant enough. 

            "Are you a friend of Remy's?" She was anxious to meet up with him.

            "Uh, no. I think you ought to come with me," Pietro said, leading her towards the limo parked on the curb.

            Cece didn't react fast enough. Pietro threw her in the car and slammed the door while Cece struggled with the person inside. They were soon on their way to Washington D.C.

A/N2: I think I'm going to have Scott/Jean be a very short term effect due to medicine + mutants. So next chap, repercussions of the Scott/Jean kidnapping, more Bishop, Xavier flies back, and Sam and Paige Guthrie help out (who, if you read the original very carefully, are Remy's pals). There, are you happy?


	5. Strategy

A/N: Sorry about the delay. A massive writer's block and you get a chapter two months (+) waiting. I wasn't going to update this until FTTB was finished, but I got a review (J) and felt a little inspiration, and here you go. Oh yeah, the only Malice I know was the one in Polaris' body, so that's that. As always, please review the chapter.

            "Remy! Not here!" Marie hissed, staring at the glowing utensil in horror. Remy gave her a lazy smile before dissipating the energy. Bishop had his mouth open, frozen in shock.

            "I think I made my point. Plus, I don' need powers t' take on that bulk."

            "How'd you do that?" Bishop asked, wonder in his voice.

            Remy just grinned and slumped down in his chair. It was a bit exhausting to go showing off like that.

            "That's why we need the info on Essex as soon as possible," Marie explained, still frowning at Remy. She handed him a slip of paper. "Call this number as soon as you get it."

            "Are you in trouble?"

            "Yeah. And Bishop – hurry!"

            Bishop watched as Marie dragged Remy out of the eatery. He just sat and thought of what he could do with powers like that. There'd be no more hustling or violence. Maybe he should go see this Essex guy and see if he'd hook him up.

            "Slow down, Marie! Where are we going anyway?" Remy asked as they half ran down the street.

            "I just thought of something. If you can catch this Legacy Virus just by being around someone, we probably shouldn't be running around all these people."

            Remy stopped. "Do you know where you're going?"

            Marie looked up at him, a slight panic in her eyes. "No."

            "Come on. My safe house is on Main and 12th." He strolled, not letting anything bother him. It was the only thing he could think of to calm Marie down. Or irritate her enough to quit worrying.

            "You have a safe house? Why in the world do you have a safe house? Wait a minute, you own a house?" Marie's attention was definitely turned.

            "You mean you don't?" Remy asked, with mock surprise. "We'll just stay there until we come up with a plan to get Jean back. It's usually restocked on Tuesdays, so there should be plenty of food."

            ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            The fog in her mind was beginning to clear. Jean lay in the man's arms, feeling safe and secure. Looking at the bars in the room around her, she pulled closer.

            "Where are we?"

            Scott frowned. "I don't know, but it doesn't look good."

            "I want to go home!" Jean's voice cracked and she bit her lip to keep from crying. The weather mirrored her misgivings as a huge crash of thunder echoed in the room.

            "But where's home?"

            "Somewhere nice." She turned towards his body and closed her eyes. It seemed that the truth was hovering on the edge of her mind. If she could just concentrate…

            "Are they ready?" A cold voice came from the speaker, startling Malice enough to drop her cards.

            "Shit!" She muttered under her breath. "They're ready, boss." Then she turned to Creed and Logan. "I'm out. Let's go get the brat."

He heard footsteps coming closer. He slowly backed into the corner, moving Jean so she'd be behind him. He somehow knew that it was her that they wanted. He knew that it was his job to protect her.

            She didn't protest. She peeked over his shoulder to see who their captors were. She did not expect the strikingly beautiful woman who stepped into view first. Logan followed after her. He grinned evilly and extended claws from his fists. They gleamed in the light. Jean's eyes widened in surprise and fear.

            "Now, now, I don't want any scenes," Malice purred with a sinister grin. She unlocked the door and advanced on Scott. "Just hand over the girl, and there will be no problems. We'll return her later."

            "Logan!" It all came flooding back to him. The school. The Virus. The struggle. Jean. Scott remembered how soft she was, how sweet she tasted. How he never should have kissed her.

            "Hey kid. It wasn't supposed to be you, but the boss doesn't mind. He just wants to run a few tests on the golden girl here. We're here to help convince you to cooperate."

            "Still just the hired muscle, huh, Logan?" Scott taunted softly. He worked side by side with this man for years. While Scott had been trying to help kids live up to their potential, Logan had been training them to kill, to manipulate. He sold them to the government while Scott didn't have a clue, playing the perfect little Boy Scout.

            "Shut it, Scooter."

            "Now boys, let's not let old grudges get in the way," Malice crooned. She pulled out a remote and aimed it at Scott. With the push of a button, she disabled him, sending a pulse of pain so severe that it shut down his systems. "Bring her to Lab 1 and lock her in."

            Logan dragged Jean by her arm down the hall. She didn't even bother to struggle, instead taking the time to look around her and take in the surroundings. They seemed to be underground somewhere, obviously in some sort of lab. She shook her head at the monotony of their problems. Sometimes it was pretty shitty being so damn "special."

            Essex was waiting for them. Jean looked in wonder at the man. His face was so pale and cold. His eyes held no expression and glowed as red as Remy's. The red diamond on his forehead shone against the white skin. She was sure he wasn't real.

            "Sit here, Ms. Grey. Logan, you may go." He looked at her intently. "You are aware of why you're here?"

            Jean silently shook her head.

            "You realize what has happened to you?" He began an ordinary physical checkup. The commonness of the act further confused her. His hands were cold. She shivered at his touch.

            Jean nodded, then shook her head. "Sorta. I have new talents."

            "You are a mutant, Ms. Grey. The Legacy Virus that Dr. McCoy created has activated the dormant genes in your body. You are the next stage in human evolution." Through this, Dr. Essex didn't stop his checkup. He drew some blood from Jean's arm before having her lie down. "Do you have any questions?"

            She thought about it. This man didn't seem so bad. "What do you want? Why do you want me and Scott?"

            "I don't want you and Mr. Summers. I want you and your brother! The possibilities are astounding. However, Mr. Summers should prove to be an interesting study."

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            "Sam, homme, I need a favor," Remy drawled over the phone. He watched as Marie went through all the cabinets looking for something to eat. 

            "Anything. What do you need?" Sam had him on speakerphone as he assembled the shelf for his office. He owned a construction firm in California. This all before he turned twenty-one.

            "I need a couple of building plans and some extra help…"

            "Can yah be more specific? How's your sister? Haven't seen the little beauty in years."

            "Yes. I need help finding a secret underground lab. Once we find it, then I need the building plans for it."

            Sam stopped screwing in the support and picked up the phone. "Ah'm sorry. I thought ya said ya need to find a secret underground lab. That sounds like something from a movie. A really bad one."

            "Jeannie's gone, Sam. I need to find her fast."

            "Fuck, Rem. Ya know Ah'll do whatever Ah can. Should I get in touch with Paige?"

            "Depends. What's that girl up to?" Remy shook her head at Marie's offer of fruit. "Last time I saw her, she was working with the shelter. Don't want to uproot her if possible."

            "She's my partner in crime," Sam said with a touch of pride in his voice. "Email me the info and I'll work on it. Where are you?"

            "Canada."

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            Jean was freezing. Dr. Essex, she concluded, was insane. He was so intent on his work, that he didn't notice that she was cold and starving.

            "I want to go back," she announced. He didn't even turn around. Jean slipped from the table and opened the door. No alarm sounded, nobody tried to stop her. Jean wondered how far she'd be able to go before anyone even noticed. Just as she was through the door, Dr. Essex said, "Victor will let you back into your room." He was certainly not like any mad scientist that she ever read about.

            Scott was pacing. The isolation was driving him nuts. Ever since he remembered what happened, he was agonizing over the past couple of days. He tugged anxiously at the collar around his neck. From listening to pieces of conversation, he didn't think that Jean was in any immediate danger. It seemed as if the lab was owned by a doctor who was interested in studying "mutants." Unfortunately, he couldn't discern any future plans for them.  On the fiftieth time around the cell, he came face to face with Jean. Victor quickly locked the door behind her, and then stalked off, muttering about being a "babysitter."

            "Are you okay?" he asked Jean, peering cautiously at her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tightly. "Jean?"

            "I'm fine." She wished she couldn't remember again. The worries seemed to be piling up in her brain. Soon there wouldn't be room for anything else. Remy was going to come after her. Although this thought was on one hand comforting, it was on the other hand thoroughly upsetting. There was also something big going on in the world. She got the feeling that Dr. Essex was expecting something to happen. The news from across the globe was being broadcast on seven different television sets. And then there was Scott. She couldn't get the way he held her and kissed her out of her mind. She smiled as she remembered the way he told her she was beautiful and traced her face with his hand. And she worried that she would never feel that way again now that he remembered. 

            Scott wanted to smash the walls and run away. He needed to put some distance between them. He just had to make himself let go. "Jean, I can't…I mean, we can't…" And then she killed his resolve. She looked up with those wide emerald eyes, and he couldn't speak, lost. 

            Jean knew what was running through his head. It didn't take a telepath to know that he was struggling to do "the right thing." She had to convince him that they were "right." Surely he could feel it?

            He knew what she was thinking, and she, like all women, was trying to lead him to what she wanted. He was amazed at how well he could read her. She was without guile, her face an open book. And she wanted him. Scott went over her faults. She was stubborn, willful, and hopelessly tenacious. 

            He gave it up before really getting into the fight. After all, he didn't have a chance.

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            "Dr. McCoy, I'm sure you remember Dr. Reyes? She decided to join our little group and help answer some questions," Raven Darkholme said pleasantly. Cece struggled against the bonds that held her to the chair to no avail. She looked around at all the professionals and lab coats and knew that something big was going to happen.

            "I already told you, I don't know anything. Dr. McCoy is the one who came up with the damn thing!"

            "Yes, but you have experienced the effects first hand, and have seen some of the failures as well," a man said. He was peering at her as if she were some bug under a microscope.

            "I don't…didn't understand what was happening. I didn't know that I was passing the Virus along, I swear." Cece thought of all the recent deaths that she oversaw. The bodies that deformed or burst into flames or just stopped breathing. All of these people died just from touching her. She thought she was doing her duty as a doctor, doing her best to save lives. All the while, she was killing them.

            "Why did they die?" They peered at her from the dark corners of the room. They all looked at the freak, the girl who passed for normal but hid a dark secret. Cece couldn't even cry. After the horror she wrought, she deserved this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Remy read off a sheet of paper while Marie typed furiously at the computer. 

            "There are ten possibilities," Remy started.

            "Four are out of the country, which we're counting out," Marie added, scrolling through the document.

            "Three are on the west coast, two are on the east coast, and the last is in the middle of no where."

            "Of the three on the west coast, only one is used primarily for storage, so we count out the Phoenix base," Marie said, making a black line through one of the choices on a sheet beside her.

            "The one in the middle is used as a meeting place and go-between rest stop," Remy added, bouncing from one chair to the next in the kitchen and dining room.

            "That leaves four possibilities." Marie slumped in her seat. This was going to take forever.

            "Sam is trying to get the building designs for those four. He's going to send Paige down with them." He couldn't keep still. Not being able to do anything was driving him up a wall.

            "So we have to gather the supplies needed to break and enter while holding off the thugs."

            "While we enter a place we've never been."

            "With foes that we've never faced."

            They turned to each other. Remy grimaced as he went over the situation. Marie sighed and laid her head down. It never seemed to end. A day in the life…

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            Dr. Essex watched the screen, transfixed by the results. Who would have guessed that he would have stumbled on something so earth shattering? It seemed as though that grabbing Scott instead of Remy was quite fortuitous. Jean Grey and Scott Summers, the perfect match, the next Adam and Eve for the new world.

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            "Paige, Ah need ya to take over the office for me. Ah'm going to Canada," Sam said, throwing his clothes into a duffel bag. The building plans were carefully folded and put into his drawing folder. Paige sighed as she began to fold the clothes he tossed in her direction. Her blonde hair was tied on the top of her head. She sat on the bed, her back straining from the weight of her pregnant belly.

            "What's going on? Ah thought ya were going to send me on vacation," she asked.

            "It's not like that. Ah don't know how he does it, but Remy got himself into some deep shit. Take care." Sam cursed. He hoped he would make the flight.

            Paige shook her head, and then emailed Remy about the change of plans. She was secretly grateful for being left behind. Now she could decorate the baby's room.

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A/N: Please review – I promise to answer a lot of questions next chapter. And I'll try to get it out in a reasonable amount of time.

*It has come to my attention that the last part sounds like Paige and Sam are together (thanks, nessa). This was unintentional, they are not a couple and having a baby together, and this will be clarified in the next chapter. Honestly, ewww. 


	6. Go Back 3 Spaces

A/N: I don't remember what I promised would come in this chapter. Umm, someone mentioned Monet - she'll be back, I didn't forget her. Also planned are Kitty and Jono. This chap has a big flashback with Paige.

            Remy hid behind the sunglasses as he watched the gate swarm with people. The cop in the corner was looking at him suspiciously and the teen across the room was doing her damndest to make eye contact. So much for a low profile. He probably should have sent Marie. He hadn't seen Sam in ages, though, and he was dying for a familiar face.

            "Rem?" The Kentucky accent was hard to miss. So was the towering blonde that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

            "Sam! Y' might want t' keep y' distance. Got a nasty bug," Remy said quickly, backing away. Sam stopped short. There was something…strange about Remy.

            "There's something different," he started, looking at his thin frame and scruffy appearance. No, that was right.

            Remy lowered his sunglasses and looked up at Sam. "Like I said, t'ere's a nasty bug goin' around."

            Sam seemed properly impressed, but then tossed him a duffle bag and said, "Lay off the accent. It's worse than mine."

            "Why didn't Paige come?" Remy asked as they sipped mocha lattes. He was studying the base in Seattle intently.

            "She's pregnant." Remy sputtered, sending coffee across the table. Sam carefully blotted the plans dry, thoroughly enjoying Remy's surprise. "Once Ah realized that ya needed more than a courier, Ah made her stay home."

            "Who's the father? Why didn't he make her stay home?"

            "Ya wouldn't know the guy. He's away on business at the moment, but should be home for the birth."

            "She's too young." Remy frowned.

            "She's five years older than you."

            "And you don't see me getting pregnant, do you?"

--------------------------

            "We need to get out of here," Jean said simply. Days of staring at the walls was driving her insane. There are only so many games of tic-tac-toe and hangman you can play before words stop meaning anything.

            "I know," Scott said. He was counting the number of beats of his heart. Before Jean interrupted him, he was at 36,232. He began again.

            "Any ideas?"

            "A few."

            "Anything that will keep us from getting caught five minutes from the escape?"

            "No." Jean closed her eyes. She liked the man, but there were times she wanted to throttle him.

            "Scott?"

            "Yes, Jean."

            "Figure it out." Scott stopped counting again to glance at Jean. She was glowering at him from the corner. He smiled at her irritation, and dragged his thoughts to escape plan #5. He was getting pretty tired of counting anyway.

---------------------------------

            Marie was staring at the computer, the tip of her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. 

            unTouchable1: Anything weird yet?

            LBish3000: No. Do you really think anything's going to happen?

            unTouchable1: I dunno. It could. 

            LBish3000: I want to be invisible. Or I wanna fly.

            unTouchable1: Who knows…maybe nothing will happen.

            LBish3000: Just because you haven't sprouted wings or started glowing purple                                  isn't necessarily a bad thing.

            unTouchable1: I know. I don't know what to wish for…

-------------------------------

            "So we have you and Marie's friend, Bishop," Remy said, trying to come up with a strategy.

            "Monet will come," Sam said, tapping the end of the pencil against his cheek. He was dead tired. Ever since he'd stepped off the plane, Remy had run him around the city. Not that he was complaining or anything. Sleep wasn't really necessary…

            "I think I can get Jono to help," Remy mused. How many people would they need?

            "That gives us six." He couldn't stop the yawn. 

            "With four bases to cover. I'd like at least two more people." Remy looked over at Sam, who looked like he was barely conscious. "You better get some rest. I'll be back in ten hours." He gathered his coat and organized the loose papers. "And Sam, thanks."

            Sam shook his head. It was the least he could do.

-----------Three years ago (year before Running…I think)---------

            Paige Guthrie was scared. She didn't know what to do. She considered going home sick, but she couldn't afford to leave work. Plus, that wouldn't exactly solve her problem. She peeked out the window at the alley across the street. They were still there.

            Remy was dead tired. He was tired of running. Tired of thinking. Jean was just as worn down. And now they were in Kentucky. What the fuck were they going to do?

            "Two?" Paige asked, motioning them to an empty table. They were kids. Looked like poor kids. She went through the motions mechanically.

            "Jeannie, we have exactly seven dollars and thirty-two cents left," Remy mumbled softly. She wrinkled her nose.

            "We'll split the soup and salad." Paige took a closer look at them. Not from the area. Too thin. She could see the hunger in their faces.

            "That'll be up in a minute." She gave them each a smile, and then hurried over to the next table.

            Remy and Jean just sat there. They couldn't even speak. The smells at the diner were making their stomachs flip-flop inside.

            "She's worried," Remy announced, glancing at the waitress.

            "Why?"

            "I dunno. I'm not a bloody mind reader. Probably worried that we're not going to pay." Jean gave him a ghost of a smile. She absently started chewing on the lemon in her water.

            "You could just slip your accent on and charm her out of the check."

            Remy grinned. "I know. People up this way aren't exactly rich though."

            Paige wanted to call her brother to come get her, but immediately dismissed the thought. Sam needed to work in the mines, just as she needed to work in the diner. Everything would be okay. Momma always said that God provides whatever you need. 

            She kept staring across the street. Jean tried to follow her path of vision and saw the men across the street. They looked pretty disreputable.  Jean was pretty sure she found their waitress' problem. And she was pretty sure Remy was going to rush in like a freakin' knight in shining ass armor. She'd tell him after lunch. 

            "Here ya'll are." Paige placed two big bowls of soup, two turkey sandwiches, and some potato salad in front of them. 

            "We didn't…"

            "Sure ya did. Here's your check." Remy snatched the paper from Jean's hand as she watched Paige walk away open-mouthed. The check had one soup/salad meal for $5.75. Well, hell.

            "How was everything?" Paige smiled to herself. From the looks of things, they had enjoyed themselves immensely. 

            "Wonderful. And thank you for…you know," Jean said, unable to quite meet her eye. Paige leaned down and gave the girl a hug.

            "We've all been there. Ya'll have a nice day now."

            Remy watched them from the corner of his eye. They hadn't moved and they were still staring at the diner. Paige was standing at the door, her sweater buttoned, her purse clutched tightly against her body. Four on one. He didn't really like the odds. He hoped Jean would hurry.

            "Please ma'am, allow me t' walk y' home." Remy bowed slightly, offering his arm. Paige looked at him as if he had three heads. "I know I'm not much of a shield, but it's a shot."

            "This ain't your problem, hon."

            "Like y' said. We've all been t'ere. Please allow me." The men were already beginning to come forward to get their prey. "Why didn' y' call the cops?"

            "The tall one is the sheriff's son." Jean ran up, out of breath. She stopped a block away, but Remy saw her nod. He felt the vice around his chest began to loosen. 

            "Well, why don' y' go wit' Jeannie, and y'r brother and I will take care of t'ings." Remy smiled as he watched Sam fly around the corner and lay into one of the thugs, anger thundering across his face. Remy quickly joined the fray, calling two of the thugs off Sam's back.

            Sam was surprised when the teen began to help him, but he was too busy to be bothered with it. He grunted with satisfaction as his fist met the flesh of Tom's midsection. The tub fell to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. He was usually non-violent, but heaven help anyone who wanted to cross his family. Sam gave him a kick in the ribs.

            Remy moved fluidly, surprising the men with his moves. Although the two men easily outweighed Remy, he seemed to find the gaps to hit them where it hurt. Being fundamentally stupid, the men charged in without thinking. Remy quickly had the upper hand as they collided. The fight was over in a matter of minutes.

            Sam looked in disgust at the bodies littering the ground. Someone got blood on his jacket. Momma was going to have a fit.

            "Sam!" Paige flew at him. He wrapped his arms around her even as he began to scold.

            "Why didn't you call me instead of having your friend come get me? Let's go home." Sam turned to Remy and Jean, who were just beginning to leave. "Hey! Why don't you two come home with us?"

            "No, we got-." Remy turned to glare at Jean as she elbowed him in the ribs. He faltered under her stare, though. "Uh, yeah. T'anks."

            "Sam Guthrie."

            "Remy LeBeau. An' t'is is my sister Jean."

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            Remy climbed in through the window. Marie shook her head as she listened to the water running in the next room. The door she had been watching just stood there, mocking her. Sighing, she went up to talk to him.

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            "Did you come up with anything?" Jean asked, her face pressed against his neck. Scott stroked his hand through the long strands.

            "Yes. I know exactly how we're going to get out."

            Jean sat up abruptly, causing Scott's hand to rip through a tangle. She grimaced at the pain. "How?"

            "We're going to wait for your brother. We're going to get a few minutes at a computer, send him a message to hurry his ass, and then wait."

            Jean cocked her head to the side. "That just may work."

            "I know. Now lay down and be quiet."

            Jean tugged on his hair and lay back down.

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            Xavier decided to make a few calls. Surely they would overlook his little mistake once he told them what he knew, what he was! And even if they weren't ready to forgive him, well, he could fix that. He dialed up Warren's number by heart. 

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A/N: Well, there's a taste. I was going to answer questions in this chap, but nobody had any (text-wise). I could not think of an alias for Bishop, so help is needed. If I get something good, I'll go back and change it (with credit to whomever, of course). So, please review, tell what you like, don't like, wanna see. How's the pace? Next chapter: Marie. Lots of Marie.

*I apologize for the spacing. I spent 10 minutes trying to get it right before giving up. Stupid MS Word.


	7. Lose a Turn

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Two weeks and I'm out of school forever!!!!!!! Just have two major projects to get through… Here's the chapter.

            Marie hid under the covers. The sun was streaming into the room, thanks to Remy who'd thrown open the drapes at some ungodly hour. She didn't want to get up. There were about a million things that needed to be done yesterday, but she still couldn't dredge up the desire to move.

            "Coffee?" Remy was across the room before she even noticed he was there. The smell of coffee did make her lower the blankets, though. He held out the steaming cup as a peace offering.

            "Hmm," she mumbled, drinking deep.

            "You know you're going to have to leave this house eventually, right?" He sat next to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

            "Yeah, eventually."

            "Y' wanna pick Jono up from the airport?" A slow grin spread across Marie's face.

            "Jono's coming?"

            "Apparently his modeling career is too much for the pretty boy," Remy grumbled. "He agreed to help us out a little. As a personal favor to me."

            "I wonder if he got the lacy panties I sent," Marie mused, putting her empty cup on her desk. She braced herself for Remy's attack. He dove straight for her ribs and tickled her until she started beating on him. She got out of bed and sighed. Another day. Of course, today was another day with a supermodel.

--

            "Jono!" Marie called, waving at the young Brit. He had designer sunglasses perched on top of his head. His neck and the bottom of his face were still covered, wrapped with a bright red scarf. Other than that, he was dressed very nondescript in torn jeans and a black sweatshirt.

            His face lit up as he saw her. The crowds seemed to part for him as he pushed through with his two suitcases. His skin was tanned, his suitcases were plastered with travel stickers. It seemed as if life on the outside agreed with him.

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            "How do you stop the Virus?" Jean asked, looking over Dr. Essex's shoulder. He was staring intently at the cells under the microscope.

            "Humans will soon develop the anti-bodies necessary to combat the virus. Soon, only the people that can survive it will turn into mutants. It will lie dormant in everyone else," he answered without breaking concentration. "It's just a matter of time."

            "Then what are you doing if not trying to stop the Virus?" She tapped on the keyboard, testing what he would do.

            "I'm doing work beyond your comprehension. Now go away."

            "I'm bored."

            Essex turned to glare at her before shoving a stack of papers towards her. "Go file those, and then you can input some data for me."

            Jean smiled angelically. "Do I get paid for this?"

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            Remy silently looked at the crew they had assembled. Sam was slumping in the arm chair. Marie and Monet, who had arrived at the door earlier, sat stiffly on the loveseat. Bishop was sitting on the stool by the counter, arms folded and looking bored. Jono was at Marie's feet, leaning against her. He stifled the yawn and gazed up at Remy expectantly.

            "We're waiting for two more," Remy said, shuffling the papers in his arms. On cue, the door opened and Kitty Pryde and Jubilee entered the room. "Finally. Ladies, please have a seat."

            Marie got up and moved to the computer terminal. The projector was on and Sam hit the lights with the switch above his head.

            "These are the four bases that we need to investigate. To begin, we'll separate into groups of two. Once we find out where Jean and Scott are being held, we'll reconvene and…come up with a new plan," Remy said wearily. "If you look to the screen, we'll focus on the San Francisco site, the Seattle site, the one in Virginia and the one in Florida. I paired us off and made up packets with as much information about the area as possible." Marie silently handed out the material. Then she took over.

            "Sam and Kitty are going to San Francisco. Sam knows the area the best, Kitty will get into the system quickly and undetected. The warehouse is out on the bay. We expect this infiltration to have little to no physical contact because the hired scout hasn't seen any unusual activity."

            "Jono and Jubilee will go to Virginia. The suspected base is used as a hospital. You guys need to check the lower and hidden levels. We know you can come up with something. Again, hoping no one is hanging around, but you may need to brush up on your fighting skills. The blueprints Sam brought should make things easy."

            "Bishop and M, you're going to Florida. They put this little hideout in the middle of the swamp. There are people patrolling the area pretty much around the clock. Seems like a government outfit, but there's something strange about it. I know that with M's diplomatic ties and Bishop's…aggression, you guys can get the job done somehow."

            "Remy and I will go to Seattle. It's an old theater apparently under renovations for the past decade. There was increased security, but no one moving around. We expect them to be either in Seattle or Florida, which had to be on opposite sides of the country to make our lives easy." Marie paused, moving to stand behind Remy. She placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed lightly. "We need to do this fast. They've been gone for five days now, Scott was shooting beams out of his eyes the last time we saw him, and Jean is probably driving him nuts." Remy looked up at her and gave her a dirty look.

            "We leave tomorrow. Tickets are in your packets, money and transportation has been arranged. And everyone take their cells. Now let's get some sleep. It's going to be a hard two days." His voice had lost the fun, the joy for life. Everyone moved quietly around him and got ready to sleep. Marie gently pulled him up the stairs and helped him into bed. As the room went black, his eyes glowed dimly. Who could sleep? He hadn't slept in days.

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            Jubilee and Kitty spread their information over the sofa bed they were sharing in the living room. Both had grown up from their days at the Institute. Gone were the giggling girls fighting for attention, for assurances that they were special. Gone was the innocence, the ignorant bliss in which they lived. They had found that they were needed to fight this strange new thing, this taste of evil, the unknown that licked at the corners of the world. Jubilee and Kitty carefully memorized the routes, planned for the task at hand. They helped each other out, finishing thoughts and plots of the other, covering page after page in notes and drawings. There was no time to sleep. The light burned bright late into the night.

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            Sam stared up at the ceiling. He thought of his youth, he thought about his mother. He had tried his best to get her to move out of Kentucky and into California. He hated going to visit her in that hell hole. He remembered the day her blue eyes went flat, the day when her smile became strained. He remembered the day his father died. What would happen to his mother if he died? Would she lose her warmth, her love?

            He remembered Jean, her bright hair shining in the sun. She didn't speak much, kinda withdrawn. It took him three days to get her to smile. Another two days to let him hold her hand. A week for her to become his sister in spirit, if not blood.

            The shadows that played across the room changed as the sun came up. Sam watched them drift across the ceiling, his steely blue eyes never wavering, his mind working a mile a minute. He could get sleep later, after all.

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            Jono lay on his side, thinking about the latest adventure he was headed for. Life was becoming too predictable so when Remy had called and asked him to help with the rescue mission, he had jumped at it. He could barely remember the girl, though Remy had talked enough about her. You would think that reacquainting yourself with life would be slow process. You would think that you would want to appreciate the details that you missed before. You would be wrong. There was a fervor to the way Jono lived life. He didn't have time to pay attention to the details; there was too much to do, too many things that he could miss if he slowed down.

            Jono didn't want to sleep. You never know what you might miss.

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            Scott took a drag on the cigarette. It had been so long. As the nicotine hit his blood stream, Scott thought about how hard it had been to quit. That was why he didn't let Remy smoke in front of him. The temptation was too great. He forced himself to grind the stick under his shoe. He couldn't even look at it. The sky was black, but he couldn't get to sleep. There was this constant restlessness that the little cell couldn't relieve him of.

            Logan looked over at him, his face unreadable. They hadn't spoken since they'd made it to the lab. Scott stared silently back at him. It was a contest of wills, continuing on throughout the past days. Neither would speak.

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            Jean was sick of feeling sorry for herself. She was tired of waiting for people to save the day. She hummed as she twirled the key to the power suppression collar as she headed towards the cell. It seemed to be pretty late. Working for Essex was pretty interesting. In the files that she was looking through, the man certainly seemed to have done his research on many of the world leaders and their offspring. And he barely paid any attention to her. It seems that since he knew Remy was becoming quite the thief, he would know better than to leave her alone with the supply room and files. Oh well, better for her. She yawned as she finally rounded the last corner. Scott and Logan were sitting in silence, both scowling, both poised to fly at one another.

            _You guys better keep quiet while you fight,_ she shot at Scott. _I'm exhausted._

            His expression never changed, however the surprise was evident in his "tone." _How the hell did you do that?_

_            It's pretty easy without that damn collar strangling me._

_            Key?_

            She smiled brightly at him and kissed his forehead. " 'Night Scotty."

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            The plane had just touched down in Seattle half an hour ago. Marie and Remy were at an internet café, downing enough caffeine to keep them going for a week. Remy swore as he read Jean's message.

            "Trust a fuckin' woman to be late!" Marie swiped at the back of his head. He didn't even notice. "She's here with Scott. They're both fine and waiting for us to 'hurry the fuck up' and get them out."

            Marie sighed and pulled out her phone. "Hi, Sam…" Remy hummed as he flipped open his phone.  "Hi, M…"

A/N: Wouldn't bet on another chapter of anything for another 3-5 weeks. Unless I get something out during finals, I'm going to Hawaii after grad so it'll be a long wait … Aloha! As always please, review. The big story is going very slowly. Promise to pick up with Raven, Xavier and co. next chap. Review!! Thanks.


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